


cheap

by aceburn (breaktrio)



Category: A3! (Anime), A3! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, grocery shopping and supermarket are lgbt culture, hardcore handholding, i dont know i just like them, tenma thinks too much, they just.. hold hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:14:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29139126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breaktrio/pseuds/aceburn
Summary: Tenma is on grocery duty.
Relationships: Hyoudou Juuza/Sumeragi Tenma
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30





	cheap

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first a3 work! probably the last! this is for my friend giul even if this isn't her fav ship is mine and this payback for the bullying. heres tenma <3 for you giul!

“Where are you going?” 

Tenma glances up back as he tries to put on his shoes and give Juza a questioning look at the same time.

Juza just raises an eyebrow, not talking.

“I’m on grocery duty,” Tenma answers, shoes finally on. He pats his jacket to search for his sunglasses, not finding them anywhere. He’s sure he had them on him, “Sakyo’s on my ass about not helping around or something. Saying he will talk with the Director. Where the…”

“Looking for these?” Juza walks over, Tenma’s pricey sunglasses between his fingers.

“Where?”

“Dinner table,” Juza shrugs, then he takes off his slippers. Tenma notices how his black socks have a hole in it. He stores that information for later. 

“What are you doing?” Tenma has his hand out, waiting for Juza to give him his sunglasses. He doesn’t, holding them tightly, but he’s careful to not break them, probably because they cost more than his uni’s fees. Tenma’s top lip perks at that. His sneakers are on as throws on what looks like Itaru’s checkered coat. It doesn’t mix well with his outfit, black jeans and white tee, and his whole general vibe, but Tenma is wearing three days dirty sweatpants, so he doesn’t really judge him for that.

"Coming with you,” Juza replies.

Tenma tilts his head. He doesn’t say anything to make Juza change his mind, knowing very well how stubborn Juza is. Plus, he doesn’t like to go grocery shopping, he doesn’t like supermarkets and he sure doesn’t like carrying three too fragile plastic bags full of stuff alone. He could’ve asked Yuki or anyone in the Summer Troupe, but… yeah, Juza coming along is not only convenient, it’s appreciated. 

Tenma will never tell him to his face, but he kind of enjoys the company, not only because it’s embarrassing, but also because… Juza is difficult to understand. Actually, Tenma doesn’t understand him a bit. He’s not like Kumon, wide open and welcoming, but he is sure something to make Tenma so interested in him and his well being. 

Tenma tried to push him away, at first, especially because Tenma doesn’t like to rely on others and ask for help and all those things that could make his life a little easier. Juza tried and still tries to make his life a little easier. That’s not what Sumeragi Tenma is used to, but Juza doesn’t care if Tenma gives him the worst of his whole well constructed character of spoiled rich and famous brat, he doesn’t buy anything Tenma gives him, from his incredibly irritating attitude (Yuki’s words, not Tenma’s) to his mean, even if weak, comebacks. He’s not Banri, that’s for sure. Juza just does what he wants and maybe he feels like he owes something to Tenma, with all those late night acting lessons and helping him out practicing his lines and eating together at lunch between classes and lifts to school just because Tenma could and wanted to spend time with him--and Taichi. 

Tenma feels like he owes Juza a lot too. He doesn’t like owning people, but everytime he tries to extinguish his debt, Juza is already helping him out again. And  _ again _ . It’s kind of exhausting. 

“Let’s go or it will be too late,” Juza puts one of his hands in the pocket of his jeans, “Do you have the list?”

“Omi is going to text me everything he needs. The others too,” Tenma opens the dorm front door and Juza steps out of their house, and he waits for Tenma as he closes it, sun shining on his hair, still wet from his after practice shower. 

He hands him his sunglasses. Tenma takes them, fingers brushing against Juza’s skin. 

Juza turns to walk in the general direction of the supermarket. Tenma follows him and slowly they fall in a rhythm, footsteps matching and arms brushing. Maybe he was worried about Tenma getting lost, but Tenma knows where the supermarket is by heart, now. 

They don’t talk. Juza is a man of few words and even if Tenma has the ability to talk someone’s ear off, this time he keeps his mouth shut, enjoying the late afternoon calmness and Juza’s presence. He is tired, too.

It’s a little bit weird to admit, even to himself, but Juza feels safe. Tenma likes to be next to him, in the same room as him, even in the same school building as him because his presence is comforting. To a scaredy cat like him (not that Tenma would ever say it outloud), Juza is a gift. People don’t bother him when Juza is around. Probably it’s the frightening look Juza has in his golden eyes or his stone bitch face that makes people shiver to their bones, but if Tenma has to be honest, he doesn’t mind Juza’s glowing eyes and snear on his lips. He doesn’t have to say anything to make people run away, but Tenma studies him as he tries not to eat Banri as a whole at breakfast, intrigued by the way he snarls his words and by his low growl when Banri messes up his hair. 

He never does that to Tenma, though, even when Tenma is annoying and he mocks his acting and his line delivery and his fashion sense of a thug even if Tenma doesn't know how to dress himself alone and his stupid stoic face which is a good face. He never growls, snarls or threatens him. He just nods, sometimes he smiles, other times he looks at Tenma and shakes his head. 

“We are here,” Juza stops in front of the supermarket, Tenma starts focusing on the present again.

“Okay,” Tenma doesn’t move, though, a family passing next to them as Juza takes Tenma’s wrist in his hand and pulls him towards the entrance of building. 

Tenma blushes, “What are you doing?” he asks, but he doesn’t shake him off, doesn’t fight Juza’s hold.

“Grocery shopping,” Juza says as he looks over the stack of shopping carts. He slips his hand into Tenma’s, intertwining their fingers smoothly, “Or trying to.” 

Tenma looks down.

Juza follows his gaze, “Do you mind?” and Tenma notices how his insecurity slips into his tone.

He doesn’t know what to say, he is at a loss, and that’s so out of his character, usually he knows what to say. Juza squeezes his hand despite everything and Tenma knows his palm is sweaty and it’s embarrassing but he finds himself unwilling to let go, blush all over his cheeks. His ears feel too warm. 

“No,” he gets the words out, “Let’s go.”

He drags Juza inside the supermarket. It’s not busy, probably because it’s small and only the people of the neighbourhood come here, and they are already accustomed to the Mankai Crowd. Tenma, still holding Juza’s hand, takes out his phone from his jeans back pocket. He unlocks it as Juza lets his hand go.

Tenma tilts his head, missing the warmth and the feeling of Juza's rough skin against his, and he is probably hallucinating Juza’s smile, there for a second, “I’ll get the shopping cart.”

“Fine,” Tenma blurts out.

“I’ll come back,” Juza says.

“You have to walk five steps, Juza, you are not going anywhere,” Tenma says as he opens Omi’s DM.

Juza doesn’t reply.

Tenma takes a deep breath. This is going fine. He’s fine. He doesn’t really know what this is, but it’s going somewhere. He is going to focus on the task at hand. Grocery shopping, buy some food, bring them home, have Sakyo off his back, enjoy some nice home cooked meal made by Omi and not think about Hyodo Juza’s strange behaviour and the way Tenma reacts to said strange behaviour.

A plan.

“Here,” Juza comes back with the shopping cart, “What’s on the list?”

“Meat, spices, rice, vegetables… these kinds of things,” Tenma reads, not looking at Juza. 

Juza sighs as he leans over Tenma’s shoulder to have better access to his phone. They are too close. He can smell Juza’s perfume. He can hear the sound of his breathing. He can feel the fabric of Itaru’s coat against the back of his hand. 

“Oh, Omi is making cheesecake,” he whispers so close to Tenma’s ear as he gets close, his chest against Tenma’s shoulder, and Juza is taller than Tenma, but not by much, but he feels so small right now. Protected.

“For you, probably,” Tenma wills his mouth to say, “You could eat a table if it’s sweet.”

“Judging my taste?”

Tenma unlocks his phone and steals the shopping cart from Juza’s hold, “Let’s get this over with,” he walks away, putting some distance between him and Juza’s body.

Juza’s hands are in the pockets of Itaru’s coat, “‘Kay.”

“It will be faster if we split up,” Tenma turns.

Juza shakes his head, “No, no splitting up.”

Tenma pouts, “I-I’ll be fine, you know, I don’t need a bodyguard!”

“I’m no bodyguard,” Juza starts getting a few things from the shelves in the aisle they are standing in, the cheapest ones, of course, and Tenma smiles thinking about how ingrained Sakyo’s words are in all of Autumn Troupe’s brains, “I want—“ he stops with a pack of biscuits in his hands.

“Want what?” Tenma picks up a bag of marshmallows, family pack, and Homare's request.

“Do this with you,” Juza’s eyes are on him.

Tenma blushes.

“F-fine, but you will handle the vegetables and no, you can’t buy chocolates. They are not on the list!” 

“Just one?” Juza gets closer to drop everything inside the shopping cart.

“I said no chocolates.”

“Strict. Are we on a budget?” Juza asks as they walk around.

“Sakyo’s gave me the company card,” Tenma bites his lips, two pack of rice in his hands as he tries to pick the best one.

“Then let’s buy this,” Juza puts the 99 cents one in the cart.

“That’s,” Tenma starts but Juza interrupts him.

“Tastes the same as those ones, trust me,” Juza pats his shoulder, “Sakyo will check the receipts, anyway, and if you want to eat dinner without listening to his We-Are-Going-To-Be-Poor-Soon speech, do as I say.”

“Ugh,” Tenma gives in, “Next time, I’m buying.”

Juza chuckles, “Will you know?”

“Hey, I’m rich, you know,” Tenma hits him on the arm without strength, “I can buy the whole supermarket, if I want to.”

“Then buy me sweets,” Juza says, and maybe he’s joking, but his tone is serious as his eyes, and there is something glinting in them, something  _ more _ and Tenma blushes again. Stupid blood flow. 

Tenma finds himself at a crossroads. Juza is open, he’s defenseless. Tenma could stab him, easily. He doesn’t want to stab him, though. He… likes him. As a friend? A friend is what Juza is, now. He likes having him as a friend. It was great when they were schoolmates, for the first time he had someone to talk to at school, with him and Taichi just being there. Juza is a great friend, Tenma concludes, but it’s kind of not enough when he thinks about the way he likes him.

There’s a lot of things Tenma doesn’t know, about himself and about the outside world, but Juza feels like a safe place. He  _ knows _ Tenma because Tenma let him in like everyone else at Mankai, but at the same time, it’s different. Being with Juza, alone, he’s different from when he’s with the Summer Troupe or the others. He doesn’t feel like friendship and brotherhood. When he is with Juza, he feels like one of the many characters he portrayed in movies and dramas. He never resonated with them, but now, standing in a supermarket aisle, with Juza close to him, he kind of gets them. Just a little bit.

“T-this…” he fights the words out, he doesn’t know what he wants, Juza’s perfume is making it difficult to think. 

Juza waits. He’s gentle as he puts his hand on Tenma’s, and Tenma notices how his fingers went white because of his strong hold on the shopping cart’s handle. 

Reassuring.

“I’ll buy you sweets,” Tenma says.

Juza smiles at him and his heart skips a beat. Just one, because he is Sumeragi Tenma and his heart doesn’t skip too many beats for a nice, good-looking guy who looks after him and holds his hand and makes time to accompany him to do grocery shopping without being asked. 

“Next time, though. When we are both free, we are going to a nice candy shop. If I have to buy you something, I want it to be good, not cheap stuff. Now, you have to pick carrots and tomatoes.”

Juza nods, and Tenma smiles when he notices Juza’s red ears. 

That’s cute.

“Low-price carrots?” Juza coughs. 

“Might as well. I don’t have to eat them, anyway.”

  
  



End file.
